Originally Posted by Eight

Hello, everyone! Turning this thread into my personal blog I guess. When I was deciding on a doctor/treatment, I was following people's posts on here, but their posts were all spread out. Hopefully, keeping some of my updates here will be helpful.

Okay, Thursday was 4 weeks post my right side first rib resection, anterior and middle scalenectomy and removal of scar tissue from the brachial plexus. (Dr. Donahue)

I am 7 months post surgery on my left side first rib resection, anterior and middle scalenectomy and removal of scar tissue from the brachial plexus. (Dr. Donahue)

I am 15 months post surgery for a bilateral pec minor release. (Drs. Annest/Sanders).

So my right side surgery went smoothly. I have numbness a the end of all of my fingertips and the 4th and 5th digits. It is slowly getting better since surgery. However, being able to compare the two sides has been an great thing, because I can tell that the left side usually feels better than the right.

My left side is more cordinated than my right side at this point with all gross motor skill. I am right handed.

I currently that whole, "they took a bone saw to me" feeling in the rib (which a lidocaine patch to the back seems to help alot - along with hydrocodone and advil). I know from my previous surgery that this feeling really starts to go away at 6-8 weeks when the rib bone has capped itself off. I was also given Soma, by the neurologist, I think mostly so that I would sleep and recover.

However, nerve pain is definately going to be a lingering problem for me. Nerves regenerate at 1 inch per month. I am guessing that it will take about 3 years for my nerves to regenerate and I won't have the nerve pain anymore. My left side is already less painful than my right as far as nerve pain goes, but it is still pretty intense.

I quit taking gabapentin because I gained 60 pounds on it (stopped this sometime in November 2014 and have already lost 15 pounds just laying around, so that's happy). Tried Keppra, but it made me dizzy, now trying Tegrital.

I also take r-lipoic acid, b-12, multivitamin and use a TENS Unit with gloves every day for at least 20 minutes.

Typing sucks - my fingers are all confused - 4th digit is about two letters behind all the other fingers on both hands.